I'm neither lost nor wounded, Lord, and my heart's not brokenbut I know so many who've lost their way, who feel alone and abandoned...

I know so many whose broken hearts need mending, whose wounds are sore in need of healing...

I know so many who seek your face but do not find you; who call to you in prayer and strain to hear your voice;who long for your love and wonder if you've forgotten them...

You gather the dispersed,

you heal the brokenhearted,

you bind up their wounds...

I know so many, Lord, who wait only for what you promiseand wonder why you delay in keeping your word...

So many wander aimlessly, hopeless, set apart by loneliness, anxiety and fear,wondering where to turn, how to turn, if to turn...

In spite of all our connections, Lord, so many find themselves scattered, lost, longing to be drawn to your embrace, into the safety of a circle whose company they might trust...

You gather the dispersed,

you heal the brokenhearted,

you bind up their wounds...

Lead us to work with you, Lord, to gather in those who live alone, in the margins, those who have no place to go (who fear to go to any place), who wait to be invited and yet find themselves afraid to accept an invitation...

Help us to gather in those who long to be included and who slip, so easily, into the shadows, who fade into the corners of our good times and end up all alone in the middle of a crowd...

Heal the brokenhearted, Lord: help them bare their hearts to your gentle touch, letting go their fear of sharing what aches within their souls...

Bind up any wounds inflicted on purpose, by accident or through carelessnesswhen we were too selfish, too busy, too self-absorbed, to be as gentle, as kind, as patient with others as we would have others be with us...

And whenever possible, Lord, help me to gather into my heart, into my life and company,those in my family, parish, neighborhood and work who have no place to go and no one to go with them...

Whenever I might mend a broken heart, Lord, give me grace to reach out gently and with patience to offer what I might, in ways that might be helpful to those who share with me the pain they carry...

And, Lord...

Where I've been the one who's wounded others, where I've been the source of pain,help me see and own the hurt I've caused and lead me to ask forgiveness, to make amends, to bind up with my own heart's sorrow the grief I've visited on others' souls...

You gather the dispersed,

you heal the brokenhearted,

you bind up their wounds...

Help me do the same where I'm able and when I can, that the mercy I ask of you, Lord, be the mercy I offer others...

In the stillness of my prayer, help me know and name the ones whom I might gather in, the broken hearts which I might mend and the wounds I might, with mercy, help to heal...

In the quiet, Lord, gather me into your peace, mend the brokenness my sins have wrought and heal the wounds my heart has known...

To ponder and pray over...

In my daily rounds, who wants and needs to be gathered in?

What brokenness have I caused others? What brokenness might I mend?

Have my faults and failings wounded others?

How might I bind up the wounds of the pain I've caused?

What will I ask of the Lord today? From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me to carry through the rest of my day?

(After you spend some time with these questions,

pray the reflection above one more time...)

Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day. If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others. You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.

Are you thinking about becoming a Catholic?

The best place to start is always one of your local Catholic churches. Drop in some Sunday and see what's going on. Then you might speak to the pastor or someone on the parish staff about how they can help you and respond to your questions.